Spotlight On Forestville Elementary

Next month, Forestville Elementary will celebrate a special occasion — it's 25th birthday.

"We've invited some of the former principals and assistant principals, and we're planning to have a Fun Fair," said current Forestville principal Matt Harris.

The school's 25th anniversary is just one of many things that Forestville's staff and students can look forward to in the coming school year. Forestville was one of 22 schools selected for a Teacher Leadership grant, which will provide funding for teacher-designed programs geared toward students who are struggling in school.

"The teachers gave us their first presentation last Tuesday and it went really well," said Harris.

The school also added a part-time English as Second Language teacher to its staff, and incorporated flexible math grouping into grades 3-6. Flexible math grouping uses pre-testing to place students in math classes that will provide them with learning opportunities suited to their individual needs.

"They're grouped based on their strengths and weaknesses," said Forestville assistant principal Heather Luxemberg. "That way we can make sure that the kids are learning on their level and are not being taught something they already know."

Forestville is utilizing Teacher Leadership programs and strategies such as flexible math grouping to ensure that all students receive an education that is tailored to their individual requirements. Both Harris and Luxemberg say that their jobs are only made easier by the tremendous parent support at Forestville.

"The degree of parent involvement that we have here is amazing," said Harris.

This positive parent involvement has resulted in a student body that constantly makes Harris proud.

"It's just so energetic here," said Harris. "The student population is wonderful — they work hard, they're polite, they're generous… and we also have a fantastic staff."

Luxemberg agrees and said that she continues to be impressed by the school community's commitment to cooperation.

"It's about community here," said Luxemberg. "The parents respect the teachers and the teachers respect the parents because we're all working towards the same common goal."